SAYNOTO0870.COM - BT packages & tariffs

Barbara

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BT packages & tariffs
Aug 19^th, 2011 at 12:20pm

Hi there, I suspect this information is available somewhere on the forum or on BT's website but I cannot fathom the latter with its talk of g1, g2 etc, I think I'd need a maths degree! I am trying to advise my very confused 90 year old father (having spoken to him today probably explains my confusion!) At present, he is on BT Evening & Weekend package but is now making numerous calls to eg 0845 numbers during the day - in spite of my advice to the contrary! He has recently had to call about his pension a number of times, I suspect to 0845 numbers. I have advised him to take the Anytime package so he doesn't have to worry about making calls during the day but I wanted to confirm a couple of things; I know calls to 01/02/03 are included at all times in Anytime but what about calls to 0845? He makes a lot of these, doesn't always think what he's doing, lives a long way from us & doesn't have or understand about computers, including the fact that I can look up numbers in the forum for him!!

Could someone please confirm if my understanding of what is included is correct before I advise him? We are not with BT & I find their website extrmely complicated (probably a BT plot, my father recently rang them & asked if he was on the best plan & they said "yes" - well, they would, he is ... for them!!)

By the way & off topic, I don't know if anyone else thought the TV adverts for help for the over 75s with digital TV switchover meant that those over 75 qualified for help with this - it doesn't, the only people who can get help are those who have no digital facility at all, it won't help those who need help with re-tuning equipment etc. Anyone with any digital facility is merely referred back to Digital TV (0845, massive queues) who will eventually tell the caller to ring the manufacturer & in my father's case provide the 0844 number - he was then on the phone for 90 minutes!

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Dave

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Re: BT packages & tariffs
Reply #1 - Aug 19^th, 2011 at 2:51pm

Barbara wrote on Aug 19^th, 2011 at 12:20pm:

Hi there, I suspect this information is available somewhere on the forum or on BT's website but I cannot fathom the latter with its talk of g1, g2 etc, I think I'd need a maths degree! I am trying to advise my very confused 90 year old father (having spoken to him today probably explains my confusion!) At present, he is on BT Evening & Weekend package but is now making numerous calls to eg 0845 numbers during the day - in spite of my advice to the contrary! He has recently had to call about his pension a number of times, I suspect to 0845 numbers. I have advised him to take the Anytime package so he doesn't have to worry about making calls during the day but I wanted to confirm a couple of things; I know calls to 01/02/03 are included at all times in Anytime but what about calls to 0845? He makes a lot of these, doesn't always think what he's doing, lives a long way from us & doesn't have or understand about computers, including the fact that I can look up numbers in the forum for him!!

The "g1", "g2" etc are charge bands. You find out what charge band a particular number is in and then look-up the charge. For example, 0844 477 is g6 which is 5.105ppm at all times.

With the greatest of respect to yur father, I don't think that you are going to get him to fully understand.

BT includes 0845 and 0870 calls in its packages, but not 0844 and 0871. I can appreciate that 0844 and 0845 might be confused with on another, and in such cases there is little hope of understanding 0844 477, 0844 478, 0844 479 and so on.

Barbara wrote on Aug 19^th, 2011 at 12:20pm:

At present, he is on BT Evening & Weekend package but is now making numerous calls to eg 0845 numbers during the day - in spite of my advice to the contrary! He has recently had to call about his pension a number of times, I suspect to 0845 numbers. I have advised him to take the Anytime package so he doesn't have to worry about making calls during the day but I wanted to confirm a couple of things; I know calls to 01/02/03 are included at all times in Anytime but what about calls to 0845? He makes a lot of these, doesn't always think what he's doing, lives a long way from us & doesn't have or understand about computers, including the fact that I can look up numbers in the forum for him!!

Where calls are chargeable during the weekday daytime, they incur a 12.5 pence Call Set-up fee. 0845 calls are 2.042 pence per minute and geographic and 03 calls are 7.6 pence per minute.

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Barbara

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Re: BT packages & tariffs
Reply #2 - Aug 19^th, 2011 at 4:34pm

Thanks for that, Dave. I know I have no hope of getting him to understand fully (I have a sore throat from trying!), sad as he used to be an accountant but has always been difficult & reluctant to listen to women!! I intend to write him a letter in large print pointing out he should ask BT for the Anytime package, he can then call 01/02/03, 0870 & 0845 numbers anytime of day, and try to avoid 084X & 087X numbers or ask me to look them up on the database for alternatives. Now to the rest of his life...!

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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: BT packages & tariffs
Reply #3 - Aug 19^th, 2011 at 7:58pm

The principle about which package to choose is actually now very simple. It is more the case with BT than with others, but the same principle applies to all the major providers.

TAKE THE PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES CALLS WHEN YOU USE THE TELEPHONE.

If you only make calls at weekends or in the evenings then there are packages intended for you. These are suitable for households where everyone is out during the working day or only at home at weekends.

This is the new reality, but we have not yet properly come to terms with it - even though it makes complete sense.

Everyone who regularly makes weekday daytime calls through BT will be better off with the Anytime package. My latest posting on this point shows that "regularly" may now be equated with 10 five minute calls per month.

The level of penalty charges for calls made outside the terms of your package means that it is only worthwhile to suffer them if this happens VERY RARELY.

(BT is exceptional in that it includes 0870 and 0845 calls in its Call Plans. Furthermore the charge for calling 0845 numbers outside the terms of a package is considerable less than that for calling geographic numbers. Perversely, someone with BT who only called 0845 numbers would get away with more of these calls before hitting the break-even point for the Anytime package than someone who only called geographic numbers - it is however still very low.)

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Dave

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Re: BT packages & tariffs
Reply #4 - Aug 19^th, 2011 at 9:06pm

Barbara wrote on Aug 19^th, 2011 at 4:34pm:

Thanks for that, Dave. I know I have no hope of getting him to understand fully (I have a sore throat from trying!), sad as he used to be an accountant but has always been difficult & reluctant to listen to women!! I intend to write him a letter in large print pointing out he should ask BT for the Anytime package, he can then call 01/02/03, 0870 & 0845 numbers anytime of day, and try to avoid 084X & 087X numbers or ask me to look them up on the database for alternatives. Now to the rest of his life...!

It is important to have things in perspective. Whilst we may, on principle, avoid these numbers, if your father's charges for them isn't excessive, then it is perhaps best not to be overbearing.

The Anytime calls option will take care of charges for 01/02/03/0845/0870 calls (except for those that exceed one hour), but not for 0844/0871/mobile and some others. It's obviously important that he doesn't misunderstand that it is as a solution to all call charges.

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Barbara

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Re: BT packages & tariffs
Reply #5 - Aug 20^th, 2011 at 11:04am

Thanks, SCV & Dave. I do intend to put it in writing to him in a simple form so that he can keep it by his telephone, I know the home help was also trying to explain it to him. What worries me is things like these dodgy prize phone calls, he told me a few months ago he had rung back one of these & it had cost him £9!! He doesn't want to give up his independence but really cannot manage on his own (& believe me, no one else could live with him!!) but it seems vulnerable elderly people are left prey to all this exploitation & the authorities don't care.

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Heinz Supreme Member Offline Posts: 1,362 Essex	Re: BT packages & tariffs Reply #6 - Aug 23^rd, 2011 at 2:40pm Barbara wrote on Aug 20^th, 2011 at 11:04am: What worries me is things like these dodgy prize phone calls, he told me a few months ago he had rung back one of these & it had cost him £9!! BT will institute 09 number barring free of charge if asked to do so by the subscriber.
Back to top	After years of ignoring govt. guidelines & RIPPING OFF Council Tax payers using 0845 numbers, Essex County Council changed to 0345 numbers on 2 November 2015 IP Logged